Limited access to learning materials is among the top factors causing poor learning outcomes among children in Kilifi at both primary and secondary school levels. Children have access to a limited number of reading materials in schools being in big ratios of 1:20 in packed classrooms of 70 to 100 children both in primary and secondary schools. Since most of the population is poor, access to reading material at home is not a priority therefore home learning is almost nonexistent.
Take note of the facts below to understand the challenge;
- There are only 35 school libraries out of 163 public secondary schools available in Kilifi. At the primary school level, most schools do NOT have a library save for a book store for storage purposes of curriculum text books which are not sufficient to the school population.
- The implementation of Digital Literacy programme by the current government meant primary schools would be supplied with tablets and laptops to facilitate digital learning. This program has fallen short by delivering a few digital gadgets than required in schools. Additionally, these gadgets are rendered useless where schools are not connected to electricity while a lack of proper maintenance leads to their disrepair hence obsolescence after a short period of use by learners.
- Data indicate that 3 out of 10 grade 3 pupils cannot do grade 2 work and 8 out of 100 pupils in grade 8 cannot do grade 2 works in Kilifi as stated by Kesho Kenya. Numeracy and literacy skills of most students are low throughout primary school.
- In Kilifi County, only 52 percent of residents have a primary school level education with 13 percent having secondary education.
Most schools don’t have printers making printing reading materials not a viable option. With this wide spread lack of reading resources and support infrastructure, the reading culture is critically low hence the literacy levels of children in Kilifi county.
Mobi-Lib revolving library is a program under Impertimus agenda of promoting literacy to children in Kilifi County, in Kenya. The program seeks to provide access to reading materials to children in primary schools from grade 3 to grade 7 and promote the reading culture. With the use of Africa storybook website, an online open source of stories books written for children, Mob-lib Kenya want to ensure children have access to these creative and imaginative stories to read.
Mobi-Lib address the following key barriers that has been hindering successful collaboration with schools before to provide ease access to the reading materials, nonfunctional school tablets and laptops to hold the books for children to access, lack of printers to print the books.
Mobi-Lib address these challenges through a revolving library where the African storybooks books are printed, revolved to schools at an interval of two weeks to allow as many children as 300 have a chance to read the books, before they are taken to another school and receive again new set of books. This ensures a school has a supply of new reading materials for whole year.
The project aims to print 1500 books for African storybook website and revolve them within 10 school. After every two weeks, a school will receive a set of 150 new books for children to read. Within10 rounds of receiving books. the school will have access to 1500 books for the students in a year.
When the books are in the school, the children will be allowed to borrow read and return, the books can be used in a reading lesson and a reading club with the school to increase and capture it impact.
Mobi-Lib will work in conjunction with the school administration and students to make this process smooth and effective.
Become a partner of MobiLib Revolving Library
Through contributing by providing printing services and paper.
